Thanksgiving Trip 2005 - Part 2

On our first night back in Dalton, Debs with help from Becky put together a wonderful Low Country Boil. Full of Shrimp, Crawfish, New Potatoes, Corn, Onions and Sausage. Just the right amount of spice. Hard to believe that this was Debs first attempt. After three helpings and a few beers, Pan and I had to take a walk. I figured this was a good practice run for the big day tomorrow.

It ended up to be a amazing Thanksgiving Feast. Thanks to everyone who pitched in this year. Even Wah and Si, who usually give no help and heckle everyone like the two old guys up in the balcony in the Muppets Shows, were quite and stuffing their faces.

Thanks to Yoshimi and Lee for letting us crash at their places. Thanks to Cranson and deVoest for making the time. Sorry to those friends and family we did not get to see.

I was left with one final option. The answer was right in front of me the whole time.

Solution #4 : Whisky. Dewer's on the rocks. Step and repeat until desired effect is achieved.

Pan will wake up to either a sleeping Rob or a drunk Rob. It is a Win Win situation for me. At least in theory, in my sleep deprived state of mind, this was the plan to end all plans.

Bottle #1 : "Walking With a Ghost", by Tegan & Sara, came on the iPod as the first Dewer's was served. "Ouch"...Single Malt this was not. I did start to feel a bit more relaxed, less tense. Nothing like some whisky to take the edge off a bad situation.

I was still not tired. Not getting any sleep is not a good way to start a holiday, but at least now I was going to crash and burn my way.

Bottle #2 : When the Flight Attendant came with round 2, I was floating. Instead of saying "Whisky" when ordering, I blurted out "Precious". Hmmm...my inner Golem was taking over. Fortunately, she understood drunken sign language (pointing at empty bottle).

"Beauty", by Tegan & Sara, off Red Demo came on. What an awesome song. I was still not tired. I was also no longer feeling guilty about it. I was not starting a new adventure. Suddenly, insomnia was not such a bad thing. I made up my mind that I will keep going and going and going...

Slang : Blamestorming

Monday, November 28, 2005

Terrapin Beer Company : Rye Pale Ale

My cousin Wah had been bragging about Terrapin Beers to me for months. Like all UGA alums, I assumed this was because of the Athens, Georgia location. You know how diehard fans support all things local.

I found the Rye Pale Ale (5.3% alc) to be very well balanced. There was a light hoppy nose, followed by a hoppy front that dissapates into a malt and rye smooth, almost light creamy finish. The rye is not the focus, but adds a wonderful flavor.

I can not lie, this may well be my favorite Pale Ale of all time. Thanks a lot Wah. You have introduced me to a wonderful beer...a beer that is not available on the West Coast...you bastard guy you.

Quick Fix : Pizza

Toppings are sometime dictated by what we have to use up. In this case, I had a tomato, avocado & spicy salami. Pizza dough is very simple and easy to make, but sometimes we have to cook and eat on the fly. For $1.09, you can buy pre-made dough from Trader Joe's.

Take dough from package and place in a floured bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let sit in a warm area for 30 minutes, up to 1.5 hours. This is to let the dough get room temp and rise one more time.

2.Preheat oven to 500 degrees.3.Grease pizza pan.4.Stretch dough to desired size and thickness, top with a thin layer of sauce and then a layer of cheese.

5.Bake for 5-8 minutes. Check the bottom of pizza to make sure it has set.

6.Place toppings and place pizza back in oven directly on the oven rack. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

*If the bottom is not set or too thin, pizza will fall through the rack. In these instances, cook pizza on the pizza pan

I used the rest of the leftover topping for a antipasta. Drizzle a little buttery extra virgin olive oil and fresh cracked pepper.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Doggie Picture : Mocha, Buddy & Choco

Recycle...Its Good For Your Soul!

When Pan and I first moved here, we used to put bags of aluminum cans and glass bottles outside of our building, next to the public trash can. You see, our building does not offer recycling, so it was either that or the trash. With the abundance of homeless looking through the trash anyway, I thought they would just grab our bags and take it with them.

Nope...I came down and found that some would pick out the aluminum and leave the glass and a mess. Anyhoo, that is how Pan and I got in routine of going out to the recycling center.

In Japan, all trash is to be in clear plastic bags, separated...kitchen waste, clear plastic, bottles, aluminum cans, etc. It is inspiring to see a whole country doing what they can in terms of recycling.

No, we are not turning into tree hugging environmental fanatics. Once we started getting in a routine of recycling, it was sad to see how much we where throwing away all these years.

I can only hope that some of you reading this will take the time and do what you can.

Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill

Tonight for dinner we wanted seafood. Something simple and light. We had not been getting enough fish in our diet the past two weeks. Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill has been recommended to me by a co-worker for months. You walk in and order from the counter. They take your name, then hand you your drinks and at that point you have to find a table.

The girl taking our order was overkill with the "up-selling", it reminded me of shopping at the GAP. No explaination for the upgrade to the higher priced items. I wanted to try the fish, she tried to "upgrade" me to Spiny Lobster ($22.95). I found it Comical. All in all, the people there seemed genuinely friendly and the restaurant had a laid back vibe.

Pan started off with the homemade cup of Clam Chowder ($2.95). At first site, the chowder looked a bit off. I think it was the color that caught my attention. Was this a roux based chowder? There was a good amount of clams and potatoes. The flavor was...ok...a little on the starchy side.

Pan decided on the Wild King Salmon Plate ($16.95). This fresh wild caught salmon was brushed with lemon butter and grilled. Served on top of buttered cilantro streamed rice and salad. The salmon was a bit over charred, but otherwise cooked perfectly in terms of doneness. The Wild King Salmon was very flavorful as expected. Pan and I both agreed that the portion for the price was really disappointing.

I got the Seared Ahi Tuna Sandwich ($6.95). The Ahi was lightly grilled to a rare temp, sliced and served on a sandwich roll, with a bottom layer of mayo and diced raw red onion and topped with lettuce, slice tomato and anthor layer of mayo. I really enjoyed this "sammich". I thought that the diced red onions really match well with the cool flavor of the Seared Ahi.

Slang : Migitating

Hand Update : 11-17-05

Here is the before and after X-Rays. Its been six weeks since I broke my hand. Still when I look at the X-Rays, it seems very surreal. The doctor said that it would be six months before the bone is completely healed.

On a lighter note, I tested with magnets, the results were disappointing, wouldn't stick. Maybe I just need a stronger one. Can't wait to see what happens at the metal detector at the airport.

*All work shown is copyrighted. Duplication of this photo is not authorized without the written permission from Robwonton™ or its owners.

Directions:1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.2.Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a bit of salt to season the water. Cook pasta till right before al dente about 8 minutes (package called for 9 minutes).3.As pasta is cooking, empty pasta sauce and add frozen turkey meatballs in a pan with a metal handle (will go into oven). Bring to a simmer 5 minutes. Chop turkey meatballs into quarters (optional) and continue to simmer.4.Right before you drain pasta, add the asparagus to the sauce, mix. Drain pasta (reserve 1/4 cup pasta water), add pasta to the sauce, mix. If the mixture is too thick add a bit of the pasta water to thin out.5.Turn off heat to burner. Add a hand-full of mozzeralla, mix. Do not over mix, its just to incorporate the cheese throughout.6.Top the dish with the rest of the cheese evenly and bake 10 minutes. At this point if the cheese is not golden, set oven to broil and cook till top is golden.

Prep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 30 minutes*Note: Try with other vegetables, whatever you have on hand. I sometime add other spices like fennel seed or fresh basil. This dish also freezes well. After topping with cheese do not bake, let cool, cover and freeze. No need to thaw, pop in a 375 degree oven and bake 30 minutes, uncover, bake till bubbly and golden.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Two Fingers of Happiness

After a long week at work (its Tuesday...OH...MY...GAWD...its only Tuesday), I needed some tunes, "Ooh La La", by The Faces and 2 fingers of Whiskey (Wiser's 18), on the rocks, with a splash of water. Ooh la la! Sometimes there is nothing better than a glass of this sweet, smokey, nutty, smooth, nectar of the gods to make things right.

With each sip the stress from my day slips away, shoulders relax, teeth unclench. If only Single Malt Whiskey was acceptable in the work place, I would be employee of the month.

I sit and savor this brief moment of zen-like happiness and take another sip.

Working at Work

You ever get so bored at work that you work? Today I had one of those days. Don't get me wrong, I work when I'm at work, just with mini breaks inbetween. Check my email, water cooler talk, check stock prices, update my fantasy sports teams, update my blog...(cough)...usually any distraction will do. I was so bored today that I hit play on my iTunes™, put my head down and churned out the work. Man, I got so much work done that I don't have much to do the rest of the week...hmmm...I'm bored.

Beer...Good For You

Drinking a glass of beer every day can lower your risk of heart disease and cataracts by 50 percent, according to a new Canadian study. The reason: Polyphenols, the potent antioxidants found in both wine and beer, protect the body from hardened arteries and stress to the eye lens. For maximum benefit, drink darker beer, such as stout and ale, which are brewed with higher concentrations of barley malt and have more than twice as many antioxidants as light beers do. -Marissa Lippert

Waaah Hooooo for Wahoo's

Today was a perfect Southern California day. The sun was out and there was not a cloud in the sky. Pan and I planned to walk by the beach in PB, so on our way we decided to stop in at Wahoo's in Point Loma for lunch. Wahoo's has an Mexican, Brazilian & Asian influenced menu. The prices are very reasonable for what you get.

Pan ordered her favorite item "not" on the menu. The California Burrito ($6.50). What makes a California Burrito different is that instead of beans and/or rice as the base, French Fries are used...mmmm...deep fried potatoes. Pan also ordered the burrito with Carnitas, braised and shredded lean pork. I must admit, this was a pretty tasty burrito. Along with the Carnitas (which was juicey) and French Fries, there was sour cream, guacamole, mild fresh salsa, cilantro and cheese. Pan also got a side of Wahoo's wonderful Green Sauce (fat-free roasted pepper cilantro sauce) to dip her buritto in. I thought that it was a bit heavy on the sour cream, but then Pan likes sour cream.

I was wanting something a little on the lighter side. I ordered the Combinaton Platter #1, Enchilada with Polynesian Style Shrimp and Green Sauce. I also got the choice of Black Beans or Cajun White Beans and Wahoo's Ahi rice. I squeezed a lime wedge over the Enchilada, a dash of soy sauce over the Ahi rice and I was set. The combination of the flavors of the Green Sauce and Polynesian Style Shrimp were amazing. Overall I found the dish to be simple and light, yet tasty and filling.

Wahoo's in Point Loma, is definitely one of my favorite affordable eateries. They have $1.50 bottled beer of the month, Thursdays they have Pints for $3.50, you keep the glass, and the service is always friendly. The food is delivered with a smile, and even though Wahoo's is not a full service restaurant, someone always stops by to check on you.Wahoo's Point Loma3944 West Point Loma BlvdSan Diego, CA 92110(619)222-0020Pan Says:"Burrrp"...mmm SO GOOD. Half-way through the burrito, I was thinking to order another.Baby Says:Green Sauce...GOOD!

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Ice Cream in November

The East Coast has the beautiful changing of the leaves, the smells of the fire places and the nip in the air that comes with the Fall season. None of which we get here in SoCal, but we do have Ice Cream in November...at the beach.